30 May 2010

Night with An Intruder

I spent last night with at least one mosquito. He was not a welcomed guest.

At first, the intruder was just an itch on my forehead. I scrunched my brow a few times because I was too tired to actually reach up and scratch. Just as I was on the precipice of a fanciful dream, the intruder announced himself. He flew overhead, emitting that low buzz you tend to *feel more than hear. I swear it reached into my right shoulder.

A check of the forehead confirmed his identity. I had two (2!) lumps that would shrink to bites. I suddenly felt as if I were under attack. This was clearly no ordinary mosquito. He had struck twice and still wanted more. Satisfying him was just as probable as finding him. I took the best course of action I could imagine; I put my head under the covers.

If you've ever tried that technique, you know it can't work. The air became hot and breathing was unpleasant. I removed all but the sheet from my head and considered the intruder thwarted.

He did another flyover.

I imagined he could bite me through the sheet.

I became restless and even more paranoid. (What if he got into my cotton fortress?)

I bolted out of bed, grabbed a dryer sheet (I once read they're a repellent), shook out the blankets and took them to the couch. I lay the dryer sheet on my pillow, covered my head with the sheet and resigned myself to sleeping in a meadow of lavender.

The intruder came at me like a dive bomber. Out of options, and out of energy, I kept my head low and slept as best I could.

I woke up miserable, with four bites, one on a hand and three on my face. And the world still turned.